The big new unannounced feature in 5.4

[benebarba]

Would it? Does anyone care about the horde/alliance conflict anymore?

Yes and no: of course, you'll have a vocal group of people flaming pretty much any change in the game. I imagine there are some die-hard 'keep the Warcraft in WoW' folks who would probably be against getting rid of the 2-faction concept (and probably also hate the 'non-canon' playable races mucking things up).

Personally, I find the current telling of the horde/alliance story to be terribly boring... precisely because of the various hoops that need to be jumped through to create a scenario where the horde (or to some extent the alliance) don't just fall apart or seek other alliances, and to fill time to the last raid patch. It also doesn't help I really can't think of Garrosh as a good villain, and I think a lot of good material introduced in various places was left to rot on the vine or undermined by the so-far kinda lame Kill Garrosh story. And because we have to have 2 factions who are nominally against one another, I feel like we (as in both sides) get a less interesting story in game at least. Some of the ebbs and flows of alliances seem to play out but never work out (because they can't) in the other media.

As for complaints about the barrens, aside from the usual pasttime of complaining, I do think that the Barrens alliance side is pretty anticlimactic (except maybe the Sha of Pride and Shao Hao bit), and really doesn't seem worthy of granting a title like 'Hordebreaker' (which I'd expected to be the raid title granted after, you know, breaking the horde leadership). Can't speak to the horde side or how it compares. I am glad I can get the weekly done in about 2 hours though

[econ21]

... I do think that the Barrens alliance side is pretty anticlimactic (except maybe the Sha of Pride and Shao Hao bit), and really doesn't seem worthy of granting a title like 'Hordebreaker'

I agree. While the gameplay of questing has improved a lot in the last two expansions, the story telling seems very weak compared to WotLK. Horde side, it may be more fun as you suggest.

I am glad I can get the weekly done in about 2 hours though

Why do you want to do the weekly? I've done it once, but I can't see why I should do it again. The rewards are underwhelming and it seems a very time inefficient way to get VPs. Grinding 600 mobs is pretty much the nadir of MMO design IMO. (It reminds me of LOTROs "feats", killing 200 boars or whatever).

[Worldie]

Well you do it once for the achi and pet, second time for the brawler guild boss, then done i guess.

[lythac]

I am glad I can get the weekly done in about 2 hours though

Why do you want to do the weekly? I've done it once, but I can't see why I should do it again. The rewards are underwhelming and it seems a very time inefficient way to get VPs. Grinding 600 mobs is pretty much the nadir of MMO design IMO. (It reminds me of LOTROs "feats", killing 200 boars or whatever).

The commanders drop ~75 resources (3 x 8-17, 1 x 32-43) so it can be pretty quick if your server kills them. Also they drop 1-3 lesser charms.

[benebarba]

I am glad I can get the weekly done in about 2 hours though

Why do you want to do the weekly? I've done it once, but I can't see why I should do it again. The rewards are underwhelming and it seems a very time inefficient way to get VPs. Grinding 600 mobs is pretty much the nadir of MMO design IMO. (It reminds me of LOTROs "feats", killing 200 boars or whatever).

The commanders drop ~75 resources (3 x 8-17, 1 x 32-43) so it can be pretty quick if your server kills them. Also they drop 1-3 lesser charms.

this, and the 200 valor is kind of nice since I can do it solo (also, for those last 20 or so of each resource, just pulling all the things and going crazy is kind of fun).

Also, it frees up time to level my monk

[Jabari]

I am glad I can get the weekly done in about 2 hours though

Why do you want to do the weekly? I've done it once, but I can't see why I should do it again. The rewards are underwhelming and it seems a very time inefficient way to get VPs.

If it's taking you 2 hours to do that you're doing something drastically wrong. Had a few guildies do that start to finish in about 30 minutes last night...

Not sure there's a more efficient way to get VP than that.

[benebarba]

I am glad I can get the weekly done in about 2 hours though

Why do you want to do the weekly? I've done it once, but I can't see why I should do it again. The rewards are underwhelming and it seems a very time inefficient way to get VPs.

If it's taking you 2 hours to do that you're doing something drastically wrong. Had a few guildies do that start to finish in about 30 minutes last night...

Not sure there's a more efficient way to get VP than that.

there's a big unmentioned YMMV tag in there...

I've had as long as about 2 hours (doing various things at the same time, and I think this was before I knew about the commanders), and as little as maybe 10-20 minutes. Depends on how you do them, your server traffic, when you do them, how much you go over on each resource and if you go back and help others later in the week.

[Flex]

Well you do it once for the achi and pet, second time for the brawler guild boss, then done i guess.

Pretty decent way to gear up alts if your guild actually puts Latent armor drops into the guild bank or mails them to people who need them. Replaced my last blue on my alt hunter and have made 3 pieces for my alt paladin.

Personally, I find the current telling of the horde/alliance story to be terribly boring

I found the 5.1 stuff really good. 5.2 less but that wasn't focused on the conflict as much. Part of the issue is the delay between moving parts. 5.1 came out a while back and only picked up now in 5.3. That said C4T needs to be used in the raid.

[benebarba]

Personally, I find the current telling of the horde/alliance story to be terribly boring

I found the 5.1 stuff really good. 5.2 less but that wasn't focused on the conflict as much. Part of the issue is the delay between moving parts. 5.1 came out a while back and only picked up now in 5.3. That said C4T needs to be used in the raid.

Yeah, I liked the 5.1 stuff too. Heck I even like the little bit about Shao Hao... though I felt that may have deserved a bit more than essentially a passing mention.

You make a good point about the pacing (and wtb C4T engineering pattern), and I think it may be a big part of the problem. Taking part in the big push to destroy a resurrected god-like figure who inspired fear in *several races, including two that he created, to this day* then being asked to go pick up scraps in the barrens after a little bit of recon is a bit of a stark contrast too. (BTW: when did the trolls lose their sanitary practices? did Garrosh remove the trash bins and toilets when he heard about the rebellion? The Zandalari seemed to have fewer issues even with all the corpses hanging around)

[Flex]

(and wtb C4T engineering pattern)

Fluxfire Feline in Gnome starting area. Capture your C4T today!

[benebarba]

(and wtb C4T engineering pattern)

Fluxfire Feline in Gnome starting area. Capture your C4T today!

the mechanical bear cub in winterspring may have also convinced me to level my pets

[halabar]

there's a big unmentioned YMMV tag in there...

I've had as long as about 2 hours (doing various things at the same time, and I think this was before I knew about the commanders), and as little as maybe 10-20 minutes. Depends on how you do them, your server traffic, when you do them, how much you go over on each resource and if you go back and help others later in the week.

One other part to this.. you can save that shit up. So go out one Saturday afternoon when traffic is high, run around with the crowd and farm 900 of each, and you have the weekly done for the next 5 weeks besides the current one.

[benebarba]

there's a big unmentioned YMMV tag in there...

I've had as long as about 2 hours (doing various things at the same time, and I think this was before I knew about the commanders), and as little as maybe 10-20 minutes. Depends on how you do them, your server traffic, when you do them, how much you go over on each resource and if you go back and help others later in the week.

One other part to this.. you can save that shit up. So go out one Saturday afternoon when traffic is high, run around with the crowd and farm 900 of each, and you have the weekly done for the next 5 weeks besides the current one.

yup! it's awesome for those days where you just wanna kill some mobs.

[Teranoid]

Not to mention it makes valor capping alts stupid easy assuming you cap your main. Isle Summons (225) + Weekly barrens (300) + 1 heroic scenario (180 even if you don't make the timer) = congratulations you're 2/3rds of the way to being capped on your alt in less than 2 hours.

[Flex]

(and wtb C4T engineering pattern)

Fluxfire Feline in Gnome starting area. Capture your C4T today!

the mechanical bear cub in winterspring may have also convinced me to level my pets

They also did mention that 5.3 story content was not pre-planned. They wanted a little more set up for all the stuff that will be coming in the 5.4 patch.